The Fitbit health and fitness tracker is highly accurate when it comes to logging your daily step count. But according to a series of studies from 2017, the Fitbit Surge in particular has a margin of error of around 27% when it comes to counting calories burned during exercise and throughout your day. Show
That said, most other fitness trackers in those tests scored poorly as well, and no device — including the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear S2, and the Microsoft Band — did better than a 25% error rate when it came to counting calories burned. As aligning calories consumed with calories expended is so critical for proper weight management and fitness, you should plan to use a Fitbit or other such device more as a reference point for calories burned, not as an accurate meter — a sports medicine doctor can help you determine actual calorie burn more accurately, if you feel the need. FitBits can give you a ballpark estimate of how many calories you've burned, but aren't always precise. FitBitBallpark accuracy aside, using a Fitbit to track your approximate calorie burn can still help you lose weight and maintain fitness, giving you a general sense of how your routines are working out. How a Fitbit calculates calories burnedBut how does a Fitbit calculate the calories you've burned? The answer is the use of both specific information about you, and more general calculations pre-loaded into its algorithm, including calculations about how human beings burn calories writ large. First, you input a number of metrics about yourself into the Fitbit app. These include your age, weight, height, and gender, data points that are used to establish a basal metabolic rate. This, your BMR, is the rate at which you burn calories while at rest (thanks to digestion, your heartbeat, breathing, etc.). This base rate usually accounts for half the calories reported burned during the day; the rest come from an increased burn the Fitbit assumes you are enjoying when it senses an elevated heart rate and/or motion. But that heart rate could be stress, and the motion could be from a bumpy ride in a vehicle or a nervous tick, so always take Fitbit calorie counts with a grain or three of salt. To get a full health statistic report, including your approximate calorie burn, you can go to the dashboard on your Fitbit app (pictured below). You can track how many calories you've burned, along with other stats, from the Fitbit mobile app. Steven John/Business InsiderRelated coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
Steven John Freelance Writer Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com. Read more Read less Get the latest Fitbit stock price here. Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links. Fitness trackers come in workout machines, as watches, and even as apps on cell phones now. When using any fitness tracker, you can expect to see a value of your calories burned. You may wonder just how accurate those representations of burned calories are. Fitbit’s calories burned tracking is generally accurate and utilizes your basal metabolic rate and activity data. Fitbit does at times overestimate calories burned, but no fitness tracker is entirely accurate. To ensure accuracy, personalize your dashboard and heart rate zone when setting up your Fitbit Versa. To improve accuracy, remain active and update your weight as needed. Ready to learn more about Fitbit’s burned calorie accuracy? If so, it is necessary to understand the system of tracking. We’ll talk about these things along with others that might impact the accuracy of your Fitbit’s calorie tracking. Let’s dig in! Contents
How Does Fitbit Calculate Calories Burned?Fitbits combine your BMR, or basal metabolic rate, and activity data to help you track your calories burned. Hold on, what is the BMR and what does that mean? Your BMR is the base rate that your body burns calories at while sitting. You are always burning calories in one way or another to maintain vital body functions. Even at rest your body must still maintain a heartbeat, breathing, the pumping of blood, and other internal processes. The Fitbit can track your BMR based on information you add into your account. This will include things like height, weight, sex, age, and other quantifying data. Did you know that your BMR accounts for about half of your daily burned calories? Well, you do now. Your activity will then be based off of your individual stats and BMR. Finally, your Fitbit can estimate just what you’ve burned during a given workout.  Again, it is important to note that no fitness tracker is going to be accurate without fail. When setting up a Fitbit Versa 2, you can and should customize things like heart rate zone and personalize your dashboard. Optimal results and tracking will come from setting up your smartwatch from the start. Fitness trackers, like the Fitbit, work to estimate calories burned to provide you with relevant data. This should not be taken as accurate down to the last calorie burned. Instead, you should try to use fitness trackers as a way to notice patterns of activity. This will help you to feel prepared and capable when going into workout sessions. Are some Fitbit Models Calories Burn Count More Accurate?Each model of Fitbit is slightly different, so accuracy will also change per model. The newer the model of Fitbit, the more updated the hardware. This means that any Fitbits that are new and updated will consequently be better suited to track your calories burned in a reliable way. So, just how do the different Fitbit models compare? 1. Fitbit Charge 2
2. Fitbit Charge 4
3. Fitbit Charge 5
4. Fitbit Versa
5. Fitbit Versa 3
6. Fitbit Inspire 2
7. Fitbit Luxe
Does Fitbit Overestimate Calories Burned?Fitbit does often slightly overestimate the number of calories burned. It underestimates them occasionally, too, but the overestimation is the big thing to be aware of here. In fact, almost every user review that you read will have wearers noting this overestimation of calories. In comparison to other smartwatch brands, the Fitbit models in general have a bad habit of this calorie tracking style. They are constantly telling wearers they have burned more calories than they have. Many Fitbit models overestimate calorie tracking by 27-53%, which is quite high. Wearers do seem to be frustrated by this inaccuracy, and this may even cause them to switch to another brand. What May Impact the Accuracy of Fitbit Calorie Burn Count?Wrist placement
Heart rate variability
Being under active
Being very active
As you can see, there are many factors that will impact the accuracy of your burned calorie tracking. How to Improve the Accuracy of Fitbit Calorie Burn CountWhen looking to ensure that your Fitbit most accurately tracks your burned calories, there are some things you can do. Taking the following steps will ensure that your Fitbit can best work for you and your needs:
Really, the main thing is to be aware of your personal goals and patterns as you continue along your fitness journey. Alternatives to Fitbit Calorie TrackingFitbits may not be for everyone, and that’s okay. Try one of these 3 other brands if you are looking for a different calorie tracking system:
These options are all relatively similar, with their main difference being the cell phone brands that they pair with. Fitbits do, however, pair with these different types of phones. The Fitbit app will allow you to connect to most smart phones, making it the most versatile of the options.
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How accurate is calories burned on fitbit
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